Ex-CJ ABM Khairul can't be arrested, harassed unless named in specific case: SC

The Supreme Court's Appellate Division today (9 August) upheld a High Court order barring authorities from showing former chief justice ABM Khairul Haque arrested or harassing him unless he is named as an accused in a specific case.

A four-member Appellate Division bench headed by Chief Justice Zubayer Rahman Chowdhury passed the order, disposing of the state's leave-to-appeal petition and application challenging the High Court order.

The apex court also directed the High Court to dispose of the rule on the matter as soon as possible, said lawyers concerned.

Advocate Moneam Nabi Shaheen, one of Khairul Haque's lawyers, said the Appellate Division had upheld the High Court's direction.

Lawyers Kamrul Haque Siddiqui, Sara Hossain, Mostafizur Rahman Khan, Mahbub Shafique and Moneam Nabi Shaheen appeared for Khairul Haque. Deputy Attorney General Mohammad Mehedi Hasan Chowdhury represented the state.

On 17 May, a High Court bench comprising Justice Rajik-Al-Jalil and Justice Debasish Roy Chowdhury ordered that Khairul Haque not be shown arrested or harassed unless he was an accused in a specific case.

The state later challenged the order before the Appellate Division.

On 24 July 2025, Khairul Haque was arrested from his Dhanmondi residence in Dhaka. He was subsequently shown arrested in a case filed over the killing of Jubo Dal activist Abdul Quayyum Ahad in Jatrabari during the 2024 July Mass Uprising.

Seven cases have been filed against Khairul Haque in total.

On 12 May, the High Court granted him bail in two cases filed over killings during the July Uprising.

His lawyers had said after the order that there was no longer any legal impediment to his release from jail, as he had secured bail in all the cases against him.

The state then sought a stay on that order.

Earlier, on 28 April, the Appellate Division upheld his bail in five cases filed by the Anti-Corruption Commission, as well as cases concerning the killing of the Jubo Dal activist during the July Uprising and alleged forgery of a judgment relating to the caretaker government.

The High Court had earlier granted him bail in four cases on 8 March after making the rule on his bail absolute.

Khairul was granted bail in an ACC case on 11 March, while the Appellate Division later rejected the state's challenge to those bail orders.

He was later shown arrested in two more cases related to the July Uprising -- one filed with Jatrabari Police Station over the killing of Arif and another with Adabor Police Station over the killing of Rubel.

After lower courts rejected his bail petitions in those two cases, he moved the High Court and secured bail on 12 May.